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Rwanda and Tanzania:Similarly Different



Africans

Weruya wayo
Wayaakaa
karibu kiti
Murakaze neza 

Africa 
The mother land 
The land of the lions and the forests
This is where you will find the wild side of life 

Africans 
People of colour
thick, black and poor
These Africans

These Africans 
They are Africans because they love their land 
They love their people 
They love their continent

They are Africans because they are one 
Not because they are same
No one African is completely African
because there is no such thing 

Being African
We hold hands as we move around the fire 
Each of us moving our feet to our own beats
We celebrate our differences
It's in the differences that we are similar.




Rwanda and Tanzania are both countries in the eastern part of Africa. In fact Rwanda borders Tanzania on the Northwest. African countries have long since been generalized, group and reduced to a collective sum with some even thinking that it is a country instead of a continent. It is true that there a so many similarities between African  societies but there are much more differences. Even for Rwanda and Tanzania  two countries that are only separated by an imaginary line of borders the differences are very clear cut. As seen in the map Rwanda is vey small country compared to Tanzania. Rwanda is as big as a small region in Tanzania. The difference in size gives way to other major cultural differences.

Firstly Rwanda as a country is united by  a common Language  Kinyarwanda. Kinyarwanda is the national language of Rwanda and it is spoken by everyone.  In Tanzania on the other hand has Kiswahili as the national language and it is spoken  by a majority of people. what is more interesting is the fact  that different people in different parts of Tanzania speak different  tribal languages; Kisukuma in the north, Kipemba on the Islands and Kimakonde in the south just to mention a few. There are over a hundred tribal languages in Tanzania and until today some Tanzanians can't speak the national language.

Furthermore many African countries are famous for their culture, customs and norms. Though there is a lot of overlap in our cultures they are completely different from one country to other and sometimes within the country. These cultures are often a result of the tribes. Tanzania has over 100 tribes and all these tribes have varying cultures, customs, dressing styles, language and even food. What is amazing about Rwanda is that they don't have tribal divisions. They speak the same language and follow the same customs. Many people still associate  Rwanda with the genocide that happened over 20 years ago between the ethnic groups tutsi  and hutu. But they have long since recovered and the ethnic differences are non existent.

As a Tanzanian I wanted to know more about my  neighbouring country Rwanda and some of the things we share and don't share. So I decided interview my Rwandan friend Cyprien Nshimiyamana, in the podcast audio below.


Rwanda with Cyprien Nshimiyamana


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